Convert

If I want to get my run in on Saturdays that my husband works, I have two options. Finishing the run by 6 am when he has to leave for work, or running after he returns from work around 6 pm.

I choose cool empty mornings over hot crowded evenings.

This morning I was up by 4:30 am and out the door by 5 am. The moon was still up and it was dark. I saw few cars and no people out walking their dogs or running.

It was as if the morning was mine.

There were MOONSHADOWS!

I'm a convert. Morning runs are amazing--especially since they produce amazing naps later.

Homemade Arm Warmer Time!

If I am cutting up a perfectly decent pair of over-the-knee socks, it must be race time. Last time, I chose a pink, purple, gray, and black striped pair. This year I opted for the more classic argyle.

Sunday morning around 6:12 am, I'll cross the start line of my fifth half-marathon; my second in San Francisco. I'm downright giddy about running the Golden Gate. I guess I like bridges.

I should have goals for this race, but I just don't. I always intended for this half to be a way to keep me in training through the summer months.

Quickly set goals:

A: Sub 2:15

B: Sub 2:17:xx

C: Sub 2:27:xx

D: Have fun!

E: Don't get hurt!

Haha.

I want to believe that I have a 2:15 in me, but I'm not sure with the hills. I did ZERO hill training this cycle. Not one bit! Oopsy! But the weather will be cool and there will be many people there, so who knows.

I hope the Marathonfoto gods are kind.

Interpret and Evaluate

This is my year so far. I'll close the week off tomorrow with a 12 or 13 mile run, putting the final bar on the graph up around 33 or 34 miles--just a wee bit shy of my best week.

My half-marathon training (the bars to the right of the red) is so much better than my marathon training (the bars to the left). Even with the stomach flu, calf strains, and rest time needed to recover from rock climbing, I put in a variety of workouts. When I was healthy, I ran more miles and more variety of workouts.

I may be most proud of the fact that only one week is without miles.

The training for the SF Half doesn't feel like I am training. I have no idea what has led to this feeling. It just doesn't feel like work. It could be because I am not training for a marathon. It could be because I essentially registered for this race because I wanted to force myself to continue running through the hot summer months. I'm often surprised when I remind myself that I have a race in two weeks.

I think that I am going to register for the California International Marathon.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Perspective

Summer training has proved to be challenging. Teaching, traveling, and participating in the fellowship of the word processor has eaten up my time and my energy. Spending all day in a classroom at UC Merced seems to be affecting my fluid intake. I just don't think that I am getting enough water for what I need. I'm spending quite a bit of mental energy writing. I have a five page paper due tomorrow, and I'm not sure that the two pages I've already composed are going in the right direction.

I took too many rest days this week. Or perhaps, I was wise to take them. I'll never really know for sure. My weekly mileage this week was only 18 miles. Eleven of those miles I ran this morning.

Disappointing.

My overalls goal was to increase my weekly miles because I felt like I ran too few miles for my marathon training. I wanted to make 30 mpw my new normal. I still do. I just find the heat to be a formidable opponent.

Instead of wallowing in the mire, I thought that I would see how many miles I ran last summer. I wanted a bit of perspective.

From June to this time in July last year, I ran a total of 21.87 miles.

During the same time period this year, I ran a total of 94.12 miles.

Clear progress.

I may not be hitting the 30 mpw that I want, but I am getting there.

Cross-Training: Rock Climbing

I've tried resistance training with little success in sticking to the program. Doing reps for the sake of doing reps was never enough motivation for me. It was all very abstract.

At least with running, I cover a concrete distance.

This is partially one reason why I loved rock climbing. Resistance training and covering a concrete distance! Progress is palpable! And like running you can sort of get in a zone and not realize how much you have ascended until you pause to look down/look back.

Here I am ascending a climb called Bake Sale; it earned this name because the rock just bakes in the sunshine and burns up your hands. I happened to take my rock climbing class on a Yosemite day that reached temps in the 90s. This is the sort of day most recreational rock climbers won't climb because the rock heats up to uncomfortable levels.

As rock climbing was new to me, I encountered struggles. As a runner, I should be no stranger to this. My instructor in trying to comfort me told me that climbing is like a hybrid of ballet and chess.

I'm comfortable with the idea of being a ballerina. I was even an adorable ballerina one Halloween in elementary school. But I lack the patience to be a decent chess player. I had to slow down and read the rock.

That is probably a metaphor for a lot in my life.

As a bonus: I aggravated/reinjured (maybe) my calf strain in my left calf. This does not dissuade me from future climbing opportunities!

The Difficult Stretch

Today was the first day post-marathon that I didn't experience too much muscle soreness. I probably could have gone out for a very slow three miles to start to ease my body back into running mode.

But today was quite hot. I believe it hit the high 90s.

We are hitting the difficult stretch of the year: May through August. My mileage drops to abysmal levels during these months.

Consider what I am up against: the conclusion of the school year, vacations, heat, triple digit heat, stay at home motherhood, and the beginning of the school year. None of these are particularly conducive to running.

I'm toying with the idea of registering for the San Francisco Half Marathon at the end of July just to get me forced into a training mode to keep me running through those summer obstacles. But dropping the money on the race and the hotel room seems like a waste. Why does money need to be on the line for me to buckle down and train?

The summer struggle is reason #237 why I have a hard time identifying as a runner.